Cleaning & Seasoning Cast-Iron Cookware
By David G. Smith, a.k.a. The Pan Man™
W ith proper care, your iron cookware will last forever and will require very little maintenance. If you have acquired a brand new pan, the manufacturer may have stated that it is “pre-seasoned.” In most cases, this pre-seasoning is temporary. You will need to build up that seasoned surface. In this brief tutorial, I’ll explain how to clean old pans, including rusted pans; how to season pans; and general cleaning and maintenance.
Initial Cleaning
CAUTION: Wear rubber gloves and eye protection while doing this!
Let’s begin with an old piece of cast iron that is dirty, cruddy with burned-on food residue, and perhaps also slightly rusted. To initiate the cleaning process, begin by spraying the pan with oven cleaner, putting it in a plastic bag, and tying it shut. The bag will keep the oven cleaner from drying out, so it will continue to work. Leave the pan as it is for two or three days.
Then remove it from the bag, and scrub it with a brush—my favorite is a brass brush I found at the automotive counter of my local hardware store. This brush is marketed for cleaning white wall tires. It is just the right size for doing pans. You can also find brass brushes at the grocery store in the kitchenware aisle or even in your drugstore.
If all the burned on grease doesn’t come off on this first try, repeat the process with the bag and the oven cleaner, concentrating the cleaner to the troublesome areas.
For cleaning many pieces at one time, you can prepare a soaking solution of one and a half gallons of water to one (18-ounce) can of lye in a plastic container. Lye, like oven cleaner, is very caustic and will burn you. Always wear rubber gloves.
Mix enough solution in the plastic container to cover the items to be cleaned. Leave the pieces in the soak for about five days; then scrub the pieces. You can use the lye mixture several times. (Be careful not to use oven cleaner or lye on aluminum, finished wooden handles, pans with porcelain or enameled finishes as they will be destroyed.)
Finish the cleaning process as above.
I DO NOT recommend the following methods of cleaning:
• Open fire: The intense heat can severely warp or even crack the piece.
• Self-cleaning oven: Although this doesn’t hold as great a risk as throwing it in a fire, the intense heat of a self-cleaning oven can warp a skillet. There is also a risk of cracking the piece.
• Sandblasting: This is the cardinal sin for collectors. Sandblasting destroys the patina making the piece a dull gray color. Most collectors will not buy a piece that has been sandblasted.
To Remove Rust
Buff the pan with a fine wire wheel of an electric drill. Crusted rust can then be dissolved by soaking the piece in a solution of equal amounts of white vinegar and water for a few hours. Don’t leave it longer than overnight without checking it. This solution will eventually eat the iron!
It is now important to neutralize and stop the action of the vinegar so it won’t continue to attack the iron. To do this, apply the oven cleaner again and let the piece soak overnight. You can also soak the piece overnight in an alkaline solution, such as washing soda, which is available in the cleaning department of most supermarkets and some hardware stores. Scrub the piece in dish detergent and hot water before seasoning.
After removing the burned-on grease, you are ready to season the piece. Preheat the oven to 125°F. This removes any moisture in the oven which could condense on the cold skillet, leaving a very fine gold or rust color.
Heat the piece in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until hot. Carefully remove the hot pan and apply shortening all over it. I prefer solid Crisco, but you can also ghee. I don’t recommend oil, but it can be used. Solid Crisco will flow right on. Of course, you have to use a hot pad or rag to hold them.
Return the pots to the oven right side up and raise the temperature to 225°F. Leave them in the oven for 30 minutes, then remove and wipe off any pooled shortening, leaving the piece still shining wet. The timing is important here because if you leave them in the oven too long, the shortening begins to thicken.
Return the pieces to the oven for another 30 minutes. Remove and let them cool down for 10 to 15 minutes or until they are very warm but not too hot to work with, then wipe them to a dull shine. If the shiny surface resists wiping, the pan is too cool. The initial seasoning should be accomplished at this point. However, typical of cast-iron cookware, the more you use it (and don’t abuse it) the better it will be.
It is generally recommended that you cook fatty foods in the pan the first few times you use it as this adds to the seasoning process. This goes for new pre-seasoned pans as well.
Before adding any fat to the pan when you’re cooking, heat the pan for 3 ½ to 4 minutes over medium to high, until hot but not smoking, unless otherwise indicated in the recipe.
CAUTION: DO NOT put cold water in a hot pan! Cold water will crack a hot pan!
DO NOT use detergent to clean a cast-iron pan after cooking with it. That will destroy the seasoning. Instead, put hot water in the pan and bring it to a boil. Let the pan soak for several minutes, then wipe it out with a paper towel. If something sticks, scrape it with a spoon to dislodge it. Do not use a Brillo or other abrasive metal pads to scour the pan as they cut into the seasoned surface.
Next, reheat the pan and apply a fine coating of shortening, oil, or even a non-stick spray, such as Pam. It should just wet the surface and shouldn’t run. Wipe off enough of the heated oil to leave the pan with a dull shine. As you use the piece and continue with this maintenance seasoning process, your pan will develop a nice black patina and a stick-free surface.
If you follow these suggestions, you’ll be able to pass on your favorite skillets to your children and grandchildren! I know they last—I’ve been collecting cast iron for more than thirty years and currently buy and sell at www.panman.com. In addition, I coauthored The Book of Griswold & Wagner and The Book of Wagner & Griswold.
“The secret of good cooking is largely a matter of developing and enhancing the natural food flavors which the Griswold Dutch Oven does so well, because it retains the steam and conserves the natural juices of all foods cooked.”
—Aunt Ellen